Charles e



(No Mode l.)

O E. GUY.

BRIDLE BIT.

418,012- Patented Dec. 24, 1889.

W wmzg UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. GUY, OF RACINE, \VISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO WILLIAMP. BROlVN, OF SAME PLACE.

BRlDLE-BIT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 418,012, dated December24, 1889.

Application filed August 19, 1889.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. GUY, of Racine, in the county of Racine,and in the State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Bridle-Bits; and I do hereby declare that the followingis a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to bridle-bits; and it consists in certainpeculiarities of construction and combination of parts, to behereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings, andsubsequently claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a vertical transverse section of abit constructed according to my invention; Fig. 2, a plan view of thesame, part-1y in section; and Fig. 3, a side elevation, partly insection.

Referring by letter to the drawings, A B represent the parallelmouth-bars of a bridlebit, and these bars are preferably straight forthe greater portion of their length. The end a of bar A is bent aroundor otherwise secured to a side ring 0, and the opposite end I) of bar Bis likewise secured to another side ring D, both of these side ringsbeing provided with guides c for cross-heads d on rods E, that passthrough lugs e 011 said side rings. Arranged on the rods E, bet-weentheir cross-heads d and the lugs e on the side rings 0 D, are spiralsprings F, designed to exert their force in a forward direction, wherebysaid cross-heads are held against the opposite ends f g of the bars A B,these latter ends of said bars being preferably at an angle in orderthat a greater leverage, and consequently quicker action,

may be had against the resistance of the springs when said bars aredrawn back by means of the bridle-rings h 2', attached to their angularends.

I prefer to provide the cross-heads cl on the rods E with forwardextensions j, having recesses k to engage the bars A B, as illustratedin Figs. 1 and 3, this construction preventing loose play of said barsbetween the guides c for said cross-heads.

By the construction above described it will be readily seen that thepull of ahorse on the bit will be against the bars A B, and the draw ofa driver on said bit will be against the resistance of the springs E,whereby no undue Serial No. 321,228. (No model.)

strain comes upon the mouth of the animal when the latter is driven witha tight rein. Should it be necessary to curb the horse, anincreasedtension on the reins will overcome the resistance of thesprings, and thus cause the bars A B to draw hard upon the mouth of theanimal and the side rings 0 D to clamp against the jaws of said animal;but as soon as the reins are slackened the expansion of said springswill cause the bit-bars and side rings to approach to their normalpositions.

A bit constructed according to my invention will be found of greatservice with highspirited but tender-mouthed horses, as there need be nounnecessary strain upon the mouth when driving with tight reins, whilewith hard-mouthed horses such a bit is equally serviceable, because thecurbing-power is regulated by the springs and can be readilyproportioned accordingly as the action and temper of the animalrequires.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1 1. Abridle-bit having the side rings thereof provided with guides,spring-controlled rods having oross-11eads arranged to work on theguides, and mouth-bars arranged to draw against the cross-heads,substantially as set forth.

2. A bridle-bit having the side rings thereof provided with guides,spring controlled rods having cross-heads provided with forwardextensions and arranged to work on the guides, and mouth-bars engagingthe extensions on the cross-heads of said rods, substantially as setforth.

8. A bridle-bit having the side rings thereof provided with guides,springoontrolled rods having cross-heads arranged to work on the guides,and parallel mouth-bars, each of which has a straight portion secured toone side ring and an angular portion passed through the opposite sidering to draw against the cross-head of the spring-controlled rod on thelatter side ring, substantially as set forth.

4. A bridle-bit having the side rings thereof provided with guides,spring-controlled rods having cross-heads arranged to work on the guidesand provided with forward extensions,

and parallel mouth-bar s, each of which has a have hereunto set my hand,at Racine, in the straight portion secured to one side ring and countyof Racine and State of Wisconsin, in

an angular portion passed through the extenthe presence of twoWitnesses.

sion of the cross-head of the spring-controlled CHARLES E. GUY. 5 rod onthe other side ring, substantially as set WVitnesses:

forth. GEORGE H. SMITH, In testimony that I claim the foregoing IMICHAEL SHIEL.

